Turbine



H. A. KING.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6. 1919.

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TURBINE. APPLlcATioN FILED DEC. 6. 191,9.

mallteam. 11,1922

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HENRY A. KING, O BALTIMORE, MARYLND. y

TURBINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented fitug.. il, i922,

Application filed December` G, 1919. Serial No; 342,937.

ticularly adapted for use in connection with my improved feed water heating mechanism asshown'and described in my pending application filed December 20, 1920, Serial No. 431,928,21nd wherein'all ofthe exhaust steam from thelocomotive cylinders is diverted and conserved.

Thei'nvention has as a further object to provide a device for producing a draft through a locomotive firebox positively, whereinthe induction will be constant and whereinfthe device will at all times be under control of the operator sothat'the draft may be readily governed. l

` The invention has as afurther object to provide a device of low initial cost, which maybe'readilyinstalled, and which will embody-mechanical features whereby wear and thefcostfof consequent up keep will-be reduced to a minimum.

flrndthe invention has as a still further object to provide a device which will be economica-linthe consumption of steam.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter,

[inthe drawings:

Figure l isavertical sectional view taken centrally through the device, the device being shown in position upon a conventional locomotive smoke box, i

Figure 2 is a top plan viewof the device, this :view particularly illustratiiig the mounting of the steam nozzles employed,

Figure Sis a sectional view showing one of the nozzles in detail,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail plan view showing a portion of the rotor employed, and

Figure is a perspective view showing the parts of i he device disassembled but in proper relative position.

In carrying the invention into effect, l employ `acylindurical statorlO open at its upper side andleading into'this stator at its lower side is La'reduced axially extending air inlet ll `whiclnin the` present instance, lforms a stack. s `particularly shown in Figure 1, this stack may be litted through the `wall of a smoke box at its upper side and extending from the stack is a radial annular flange Vl2 curved to iit the smoke box. ln this figure a portionio'f a conventional smoke'box has been indicated at 13. Engaged through said flange and through the smoke box wall areV bolts or other approved fastenings la firmly securing the device to the smoke box to upstand'therefrom. `The stator is formed at spaced Lpoints about its periphery with a.plurality l:of tangentiallyl `disposed sockets or nipples `l5 'and mounted in these sockets to open into the `stator' fare steam nozzles 16, one of Vthese nozzles being shown in .detail in Figure 3. ln the presentinstance, have shown the use of `four of these nozzles. However, as will, `of course, be understood,

the number of nozzles `employedmay be` varied as desired, the statorbeing provided with a corresponding number of sockets ac cordingly. its particularly shown in Fig-` uresV 2 and 3, the nozzles are external threaded adjacent their outer ends to engage within the. sockets and are also internally threaded at their outer end portions to each receive a steam supplyv pipe 17. is will be observed, Kthe nozzles are provided with arcuateinner ends conformingrto the curvature of the side wall of thestator so as to lie flush Atherewith and formed through each of said nozzles is a steam passage 118. As will be noted, these passages at their outer ends are provided with reduced throats from which the passages are flattened somewhat and flared laterally to a wide mouth at the dischargeiend of each of thepassages.

The statoriis formed of upper and lower sections, the lower section carrying the stack ll. T he upper sectionris in the nature of an abutinentring 19 yjointed to the side wall of the stator at its upper edge and overhangingthe wall at its inner side. Spaced lugs 2O project radially outward from the ring while similarly spaced lugs 2l project from Ythe side wall ofthe stator and engaging throughl these-lugs are bolts or other approved fastenings 22 rmiy securing the sections together. The ring 19 carries a spider 23 axially of whichis formed a `sleeve 24e.V rlhe stack ll also carries a spider 25 axially of whichis formed a bearing 26 closed at its lower end and havingivertical grooves 27 in the side wall thereof. Threaded' through the sleeveil is abushing 28 yformed upon the lower end of a grease cup 29 and closing said cup is a removable 1cap 30.

Journaled atits upper end portion in they bushing 28 and at its lower end portion in the bearing 26v is a rotor shaft 31 having an axial channel 32 therethrough and mounted upon saidshaft is'tlie rotor employed.V The rotor includes ahub 33 shrunk or otherwise fixed upon the shaft to be snugly butfreely received between the sleeve 24 and the bearing 26, and extending radially from the hub `is apluralit'y of fan blades 311. In the drawings, have sho-wn the use of .four such blades equally spaced about the hub. However, as will be appreciated, the number of blades used mayibe varied and, as will be noted, the blades are arcuate in cross section,

beingarranged, as particularly shown in Figure 1, with their concave sides presented to the directionof rotation of the rotor and being tilted each about its axis. Surrounding the blades'is a rim 35, it being observed that the hub, blades and rim are preferably formed as an'integral structure, and project` ing fromthe rim is a plurality of spaced arcuate drivingblades 36 closely approaching.- j the `side and bottom .walls of the stator.

Overlyingthe blades is an annularplate or web 37 extending radially from the rim at its vupper edge and integral with the rim and blades, the web confronting the inner-'face l ofthe ring A19 inparallel relation thereto. It is nowtorbe noted that the rim is o-f an internal `diameter substantially correspond ing tothe internal diameter ofthe stack.

However,'themajor diameter of the rim is somewhat less than theinternal diameter of the ring 19. Consequently, the web 37 is exn posed at its inner margin. This web serves to define an annular chamber about the rim ,35. ofthe rotor, said rim forming the inner wall of thechamber and the side wall of the stator the outerwall of said chamber. l upper wall ofthe chamber is provided by the web 37 and thelower wall thereof by the l bottom wall of the stator. The driving blades through the pipes 17, the flow of steam being,

of course, under the control of the operator. Upon reaching the nozzles 16, the steamwill, as it emerges from the throats of the passages 13, be permitted to expandA as it flows toward the mouths of the nozzles. Consequently, the steam will forcibly issue from the nozzles in jets and these jets impinging The against the driving blades 36, as suggested in dotted lines in Figure2, will serve to drive the rotor and accordingly revolve the f anblades 3e. In thus permitting the pressure of the steam to progressively fall as the tively sharp angle from said blades toward thelarger ends of theexhaust ports and con-- sequently, a maximum driving eect from the jets will be realized before the steam is discharged through the exhaust ports. It will thus be seen that as longas steam is ad-` mitted through thepipes 17, the rotor will be driven at an even speed so that the fan blades 34 will consequently act to; set up an even and uniform upward draft through the stack 11 at any given speed. Owingto the partial vacuum thus created in the smoke box, la draft will accordingly be induced` through the fire box of the locomotive. A given quantity of air may kthus be drawn through the fire box and, of course, byproperly increasing the Volume of air supplied to the `fire, `more perfect oombustio-nwill be produced. Accordingly, by the 'use of they. present device, fuels of the lower gradesmayv be employed since the draft through the fire' box may be accurately controlledfor. propf` erly burning such fuels. Further, itv will be seen that 'by the use of the present device, the draft may be accurately controlled for quickly raising the steam pressure of the locomotive boiler.

Lubrication of the device is, of course, ef-

fected by, introducing a proper lubricant into the cup 29. About the upper end of the shaft 31 of the rotor, the bushing 28 is, as particularly shown in Figure l, cut away so that the lubricant will flow downwardly between Athe shaft and bushing for effectually lubricating-the upper journal of the shaft. Further `the lubricant will, in the manner indicated, iiow down to enter between the upper end of the hub of the rotorand the adjacent faces of the bushing and sleeve 2li forlubricating these surfaces and owing to the presence of the channel 32 through the shaft, the lubricant will, of course,ff1ow throughl the shaft into the bearing 26 `for lubricating the lower journal of the shaft. From the bearing 26 the lubricant will rise through the grooves.27 to enter between the upper end of the bearinol and the lower end of the hub of the rotor for effectually lubricating these surfaces. Consequently,eifeo` maaier tive lubrication of the Arotor will accordingly be insured sothat wear will be reduced toa minimum.

Attention is now directed to the fact that as 'the steam enters the steam pockets of the rotor, the steam will, expanding equally in all directions,act `against the 4bottom wall oi the rotor and the web 37 ior lifting upwardly upon the rotor and accordingly holding the rotor suspended so that the rotor will, in effect, iioat between the bearing 26 or" the lower spider and the sleeve 24 or the upper spider. Free turning of the rotor will accordingly be materially enhanced so that in this way wear will not only be materially reduced but also, proportionately less energy will be required for driving the rotor. A further conservation in the volume of steam required to turn the rotor is thus effected. As the speed of the rotor is increased, an increased pressure oi: steam will, of course, be present in the pockets of the rotor for resisting the downward pull upon the fan blades of the increased partial vacuum set up in the smoke box. On the other hand, as the llow of steam to the rotor is decreased and the pressure of steam in the pockets of the rotor is decreased accordingly, the resultant decrease in the speed olf turning movement of the rotor will, o1 course, result in a reduction of the partial vacuum in the smoke box so that, as will be seen, at all speeds of the rotor, a suliicient pressure of steam will be present in the` pockets oi the rotor for balancing the downward pull oit the aartial vacuum created in the smoke box. onsequently, the rotor `will always float regardless of the speed at which it may be driven.

l accordingly provide a particularly et'- lfective device for the purpose set forth, the device itself supplanting the ordinary locomotive smoke stack and being particularly compact so as to provide for low clearance. However, I do not wish to be limited in this regard since, as will be appreciated, the blower could well be otherwise located upon a locomotive for producing a draft through the lire box and, in fact, is adapted tor general use in any instance where it is desired to produce driven currents ot air. li accordingly reserve the right to all such adaptations of the invention as well as all minor modifications and variations of the structure as may fall within the scope of the appended claims,

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is.:

l. A device of the character described including a stator, a rotor journaled thereon and provided with driving blades, means Yfor introducing a motive fluid to the stator to act against said blades, and means carried by the rotor obstructing` the path oi discharge whereby the fluid may act between the stator and rotor for suspending 'the rotor. ,y

2. In a turbine, a stator, a rotor journaled thereon and provided 4with driving blades defining a plurality ol:l steam pockets therebetween, and means lor admitting steam to said pockets to impinge said blades and expand between a wall or the stator and said rotor for suspendingthe rotor, the rotor being formed to discharge the steam therethrough opposite said wall.

3. A device of the character described including a stator, a rotor journaled thereon and provided with driving blades, there being a web connecting the driving blades and providing a plurality of pockets between said blades,.and means tor admitting a motive fluid to the stator to flow through said pockets and act between a wall of the stator and said web for suspending the rotor, the rotor being formed to discharge the fluid therethrough opposite said wall.

4t. A device of the character described including a stator, a rotor journaled thereon and provided with driving blades, there being a ported web connecting the driving blades and providing pockets between such blades, and means for admitting a motive lluid to said pockets to impinge said blades and act between the stator and said web for suspending the rotor, the ports of the web providing exhaust ports for said pockets.

5. A device or" the character described including a stator, and a lluid operated rotor journaled thereon and provided with ported means whereby the fluid will tend to suspend the rotor.

6. A device of the character described including a stator, and a fluid operated rotor journaled thereon and provided with ported steam pockets each closed at one side by a wall of the stator whereby steam in said pockets will tend to suspend the rotor.

7. A device ol" the character described including a stator, and a fluid operated rotor journaled thereon and having steam pockets ported at their upper sides and closed at their lower sides by a wall oi the stator whereby steam flowing through said pockets to discharge at said ports will tend to suspend the rotor.

8. A device ol' the character described including a stator, and a rotor j ournaled upon the stator and provided with steam pockets respectively closed at two of the sides thereof and having two other sides closed by walls oli the stator whereby steam in said pockets will tend to suspend the rotor, one ot the closed sides of the pockets respectively being provided with an exhaust port.

9. A device ot the character described including a stator having a wall provided with an opening therethrough, and a iiuid operated rotor journaled upon the stator and provided With a rim carrying steam pockets respectively closed at one side by said Wall y Wherebysteam in said pockets will tend v ing a rim registeringv With said opening to cooperate with the Wall, the rim being provided With a plurality of steam pockets respectively closed at one side by said Wall whereby steam in said pockets will tend to suspend therotor7 and a top ring connected to the Vstator body to overlie the pockets,

the pockets being provided With discharge ports :it the inner edge of said ring.

ture. y

HENRY A. KING.l [L s.]

In testimony whereof, I aiX my signa- 

